Rovers 1-0 Colchester

[Ian]

We won!! =D>Started to forget what that felt like.
I wasn't the greatest or most convincing win, but we come away with three very important points.

Was shocked to find Enoch fighting the good fight on his own again, but pleased to see Jennings in the starting lineup. Why must Akins start also?

At times we played some neat football and there were one or two decent moves quite a lot of the time orchestrated by Wier who had an excellent 1st half in midfield. And I was cursing Les before the game for picking him ahead of Labadie.

Both teams didn't pose great threats in front of goal but we did manage to clear the ball off the goaline twice, thank god!

So glad we won as it looks like the other teams down the bottom are fighting for their lives. Everyone below us apart from Plymouth picked up points today.

Nice goal from Enoch too. Proper strikers goal, neat finish into the corner after outsprinting their defence.

 

[bigmart]

A vital win with most other results going against us, at times we did try to pass the ball around and weir & robbo both were very good on the ball.

Agree a good finish by enoch who had a good game and wasnt as isolated too much today, i thought we just about deserved the victory today and it does give us something to build on.

If we can get a win at oldham it will really drag them into the battle at the bottom and they are in freefall at the moment so fingers crossed.

I would give weit the man of the match ahead of robbo and enoch

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A good performance today, with a fair amount of decent football played by Rovers, particularly in the first half. For once the ball stayed on the floor, and when we did knock high balls up to Enoch, Robinson and Akins were close enough to feed off them. I would agree with Ian that Weir's contribution in the middle was important, as he has an eye for a pass and always looks to play it neatly and simply rather than hitting it long.

We still had our customary dodgy spell just after the goal, but to be fair I think it was a case of Col U pushing us back rather than Rovers sitting too deep. After the substitutions we did become more composed, with Bakayogo in particular doing well down the left.

The victory was deserved and much needed when you look at the results of the teams below us. Walsall and Dagenham in particular, have hit some terrific form, which just makes me curse even more the points we threw away against Yeovil and Bristol.

I think we are better than our current position, but our season looks like going to the wire again. The next three matches are very tough and we will have done well if we are out of the bottom four when we play Dagenham.

 

[Boz]

Glad of the win, concerned that all three sides just below us all won, but agree with Ian that it was far from the greatest or most convincing performance. I'd been distracted, but it did look like Colchester could have earned a penalty near the end. There were the usual jitters towards the end, as we defended too deep. Again. Thankfully this time it didn't cost us.

Thoughts on players;

Warner. Good save early on, thereafter the odd fumble but generally confident.

Cresswell. One great free-kick which needed a head to convert it, instead of striking the post. Header off the line, just after we scored. Good game.

Goodison. Apart from a spell midway through the 2nd half when his headers were high rather than long, something approaching his best.

McChrystal. Steady, distribution much better than Bristol game.

Kay. Vast improvement on Weir in this position.

Welsh. Rather harshly booked, steady game.

Weir. Looks like a singer in a boy band. Can't see why you're all so enthusiastic about him. One or two decent balls in the 1st half, but when he moved over to the right after Robbo taken off, all he did was HOOF the ball upfield. No carrying it, rolling it along the line for Enoch to chase, or looking up to target a white shirt. If Ash Taylor played like this, everyone would be on his back...

Robinson. Fitness seems to have improved, kept battling away and set up the goal for Enoch.

Jennings. Seems to have grown in length and width since last seen, or maybe we've finally got him a pair of shorts the right size. The lad wasn't fully fit, so a measure of Les' desperation starting Dale. One good free-kick aside contributed little. We'd have been better starting Zoum and bringing Jenno on.

Showumni. Took his goal well and work-rate phenomenal.

Akins. I groaned when his name was read out, but to be fair, he played reasonably well when the ball was on the deck.

Subs. Zoum, Joss and Ash all did ok, though I'd have preferred to see Joss replacing Weir rather than Akins. Good tactical move bringing Ash on as the Colchester striker had been winning a lot of headers in the previous period of play.

Crowd. Just under 4.3k, despite the nice weather must reflect the dross we've suffered in the last two home games. However there was more vocal support for the team, which has got to be good.

MoM Enoch just edging Robbo for me, with honourable mentions for Cressa and Goodi.

 

[SonkORLY?]

An ok performance, and hopefully a confidence building result. First half was good, period in the second half after the goal was nearly suicide.

Thought the defence was a mixed bag, Kay and particulaly Cresswell were great, but not convinced by either of our center halfs, whom Odejayi seemed to have the beating of in the air and for pace, though starved of service. Goodison was doing some ridiculous things; trying to turn opposition strikers, letting the ball run through his legs to the keeper 50 yards from goal, parading up the pitch at 0-0 in the first half etc. Didn't win much in the air either, and as the most senior of our inexperienced back 4, I expect better from him in terms of organisation and communication. One good save from Warner, but even he was less convincing from crosses than normal.

Midfield did ok. Robbo was good on the ball, but not on it often enough. Weir started the game tremendously, faded a little second half, but a good performance from the loanee - a player made in the mould of the much-maligned and scapegoated Paul McLaren, but a little more mobile and industrious. I made a point of watching Welsh following criticism from Boz and it would be fair to say that the game largely passed him by. Contributed a tackle or to and chased the ball around but very rarely saw the ball. I was keeping a vague count in the first half, and while Weir completed 15+ passes, a number of them ambitious and forward-thinking, Welsh completed fewer than 5 and was booked for persistent fouling.

Jenno unfit, Akins isn't a winger (or a good footballer, but perhaps his best game in a white shirt), Enoch did alright and finished well when given the chance, his 9th league goal of the season.

Cressa MOTM

 

[drwhoman]

COLCHESTER

Good to see a win at last even if they made hard work of it. Shame the teams below them mostly won but a win is a win in our situation. I assume Latif is still injured? I would imagine that Mahon will be off at the end of the season unless they give him a chance to see if he still has what it takes. If he does not get a gig then I suppose we can all say that we have paid him two years wages for no return. A shame - an experienced player who might still have something to offer. Mention of Mclaren reminds me - I see he is now playing for Oxford - a better level for him perhaps - he actually scored the other week.

 

[bigmart]

West Brom said we had to rest Lateef due to problems with his knee, Mahon has another year left on his contract so unless an agreement is made he will still be at the club next season.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

It wasn't a great game but we needed those 3 points desperately, so that's all good. It was a nice through ball and great finish by Enoch to put it away. Did you know that our 6 foot 5 tall striker has scored all 11 of his goals with his feet. The one goal he scored with his head was for Peterborough!

I thought we deserved the win and were the better team but I do wish that we would leave a player up field when defending set pieces, and would not just sit on the edge of our box as soon as we take the lead. It just invites pressure on us when it's not really necessary.

Otherwise, pleased with a better performance and the 3 points. \\/

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

A great relief after five defeats and two draws. We don't score many, so our first clean sheet in eight games was vital.

It's good Dale is back, but I was not at all surprised Robbie Weir played. He had a good game at Brighton in his preferred midfield position.

It's a strange division. Already mentioned were Dag&Red, Yeovil, Bristol Rovers and Walsall's wins and Swindon's great draw at Huddersfield. But did anyone else note that the six teams currently above us all lost?
Anything could happen before the season is over.

 

[roverstillidie]

Sounded like a fairly scrappy game with Jennings clearly not fit. From listening to the game, Goodison seemed to be having a good game and the rest of the defence seemed comfortable apart from the two times the ball was cleared off the line. Having looked at the photos on the Tranmere website, Robinson looks a lot slimmer than previously.

 

[Ian]

Mostly spot on. Jennings wasn't fit, he kept holding his groin (i spent far too long looking in that area!). Goodison was solid, but really didn't need to be storming up front at times. Robinson's a little sharper now, bit he's still quite chunky.

 

[Sparky]

Yeah was nice to see Goodi getting back to his best. Plus I thought Kay did okay so hopefully we'll have a regular right back now. Wasnt fussed on Weir - to me he didnt do anything particularly good or bad - just worked hard and played a few passes. Was part of a winning team tho and thats all that matters.

When the team came out I presumed Robbo would start on the right with Useless Akins up top with Enoch. Credit to Les though for playing Robbo in the hole behind Enoch which worked a treat when he dropped off and played the ball thru for the goal. I still think tho Robbo is best served on the wing.

As for Akins - he is a bit of a passenger IMO - if we end up switching Robbo wide again or play Lateef wide, I would rather McGurk up top with Enoch - but again cant criticise too much as we won. Thought Colchester were poor and although we werent great, we deserved to win.

Nice to see Dale back.

 

[Mal]

Probably means not a lot but Weir was in the NOTW League 1 team of the day

 

[SonkORLY?]

Probably means not a lot but Weir was in the NOTW League 1 team of the day

I do wonder how they compile these things. It's nice that his good performance went noticed though.

 

[drwhoman]

RONNIE/IAN MOORE

I see Ronnie has got the punt from Rotherham. Poor old Ian must be wondering what is going on. You want to work with Dad and people keep sacking him! It shows the ambition at Rotherham in so far as they sacked Ronnie while still in contention for promotion. I can only assume either that he fell out with someone or else they have someone else lined up. As a Rotherham supporter you might not be too happy.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I see Ronnie has got the punt from Rotherham. Poor old Ian must be wondering what is going on. You want to work with Dad and people keep sacking him! It shows the ambition at Rotherham in so far as they sacked Ronnie while still in contention for promotion. I can only assume either that he fell out with someone or else they have someone else lined up. As a Rotherham supporter you might not be too happy.

Ronnie hasn't had much luck over the last three years has he? Losing 5-0 to your local rivals never helps, but Chesterfield are a street ahead of the rest of League 2. Other recent results have been disappointing but some were against other promotion candidates. It makes little sense as any new manager has little time to get his at together.

Talking of Ian, he has hardly been a success at Rotherham - not a single goal. Will he be back here on loan soon? :lol:

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Not being mischievous, but any chance of Ronnie coming back here in the summer ?

I know that realistically there is no chance of him returning, but I would definitely have him back.

 

[SonkORLY?]

I don't think he will ever work under PJ. That said, the man has a mortgage to pay I suppose, and he's currently unemployed. This probably warrants its own thread.

Apparently a section of our fanbase plans to chant his name at Oldham. Bit stupid.

 

[Sparky]

I wouldnt be too upset if Ronnie came back but that would be unfair on Les - lets see how the season finishes as (God forbid) if we went down, Les would probably walk away anyway.

Nothing surprises me in football - yes Rotherham have been on a bad run of late but Christ they are still in the top 6 - and they got to the play off final last year !!

Lets try and snap ITM up if only for takin pens !

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Wouldn't want Ronnie back under any circumstances. The football under him was woeful, stale, dire, boring. He only managed to keep us in contention because his teams could win at home against mediocre opposition. I think the squad we have now is better, assembled for far less money, it's just a shame that hasn't come through in the results (you can argue why....).

Sorry to be so harsh on a Rovers legend.